


Stolen Away

by frozenCinders



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: M/M, almost a character study in fact, obscene amounts of casual headcanons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 07:15:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19807339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frozenCinders/pseuds/frozenCinders
Summary: Near has to keep reminding himself that Mello needs Matt more than he does.





	Stolen Away

When Lidner informs Near that there is a so-called "friendly visitor" at their doorstep, as insisted upon by a text that doesn't make sense for her to have received, quite a few possibilities come to Near's mind. Lidner receives another text and attempts to pull up the security feed on the front door, only to have that camera feed replaced by a phone camera. Near's eyes widen as the visitor tilts his head at the camera and waves with a light smile. He was wrong.

Gevanni and Rester both attempt to pester Matt with questions once he's in the room with them, but Near already knows it's useless. Matt seems nice when he tries-- and, in all honesty, he _is_ \-- but he has always had a tendency to completely ignore anyone he doesn't find interesting. He hardly cares about anything or anyone in the world. All he wants to do is stay in his room quietly all day and play his games. Something Near can relate to.

"Won't Mello see this as a betrayal?" he asks, talking over his agents.

"Eh, as long as I don't make myself useful, there's only so much complaining he can do," Matt answers immediately, proving he is very much capable of talking. "If anything, he'd be thankful to me for distracting you."

Distracting? Near hasn't been around anybody close to his age in a while. It makes him feel even more like he's being seen as a little kid, which makes him irritable. He may have been standoffish at the institute, but he's been downright bitchy lately. Maybe a distraction other than his own imagination would be good.

He stands, surprising his agents, and Rester even attempts to get in his way for a split second, eyes darting between Near and Matt, before instead deciding to trust Near's judgement. Why bother moving to begin with? Being around someone who thinks quickly will be a nice change of pace as well.

Near has already admitted before that he is rightfully scared to step foot outside for as long as Kira is active. Matt is safe because he hasn't involved himself yet-- or, at least, Near hasn't noticed him getting involved, so Kira most certainly doesn't know of his existence as of now. He's sure there's some information or other that doesn't make sense for Mello to have that he got through Matt's silent help. He's always liked doing favors. Near knows it's to counteract being called ungrateful and mean so often as a child, he just doesn't know if Matt is consciously aware of it.

Matt doesn't push Near to go outside with him, only asks for a room they can be alone in for a bit, so Near guides him to one. He almost doesn't take Matt to his own room, as it's quite unlike him to let anyone into his space like that, but it's the only place at the moment where the others definitely won't bother them.

Come to think of it, Matt was the only person who had ever been in Near's room at Wammy's House with his permission. Of course, Roger and some of the other caretakers would enter sometimes for various reasons, but Near quietly seethed about it each time. Matt always managed to somehow be on the same wavelength as Near, and they could mostly communicate without needing to speak. Near can tell Matt understands his gestures, few as they are, when most people don't even notice them.

Though Near never held a grudge, Mello essentially stole Matt away from him. They took interest in each other, became friends, their energies balanced each other out. Near, for lack of reaching out, was left behind. Though, even after, Matt would still intercept kids trying to talk to Near for him, and would still bring him--

... Speak of the devil, Matt holds out a handful of jelly nougats to Near. He hasn't had them since he left the institute, and hadn't eaten nearly as many since Matt left to follow Mello and stopped sneaking him his own shares. They weren't supposed to eat too much candy-- ironically, considering the fact that they were all being groomed to become the next L-- which drove Mello in particular up a wall. He knows Matt would give him extra chocolate, too. He's pretty sure he snuck into the kitchen at night a few times for some of the other kids. None of the staff ever stopped him if he did get caught. He wasn't the one being greedy.

Near takes the candies and saves them for later, placing one in his pocket and the rest on his nightstand. Matt figures Near is interested to know what Mello has been up to on a personal level and starts catching him up, skillfully avoiding any details about his progress on the Kira case. Near wants to hear about Matt. Matt tells him there's nothing to hear.

Back at the institute, when Matt would visit Near's room, he would sit quietly with his back to Near's bed and play a handheld game with the volume most of the way down. Near would pay some attention to the game if it was interesting enough, like a puzzle or tactics game. Other than that, he would play on his own, just as quiet. Occasionally, he would hand Matt one of his toys, and he would hold it without asking why for as long as Near wanted him to. Then, when he took it back, Matt would let go just as easily. It's something he used to do on the rare occasion he got excited and happened to trust the nearest person. He gets the urge now.

They've only just relocated, but this is Near's room, after all, so the floor, while tidy, is still littered with toys. He picks up one of his favorites and hands it to Matt, who readily accepts the figure and holds it for him.

Just like back then, Matt doesn't bother him with unnecessary questions or rhetorical conversation fodder. No "why are you giving me this?", no "why give it to me just to take it back?", nothing. He can tell by Matt's smile that he thinks this habit of Near's is funny, but Near knows he isn't cruel. He knows he isn't annoying. Near likes Matt. He also knows that Mello needs him more, so he doesn't entertain the thought of inviting Matt to the remnants of the SPK.

Mello's methods are more dangerous than Near's or even L's-- more aggressive. Matt works better behind the scenes, and Near can make that happen. But Near has his agents, and, no matter how much it aggravates Mello, Near is smarter than him. There are things Mello is better at, yes, and Near thinks he cannot solve this case without him, but... yes, Mello needs Matt more, without a doubt. He needs to have somebody in his corner. Nobody can accomplish everything all alone.

Near takes his toy back and places it back on the floor.

"Pretty stereotype-y to not change from your childhood," Matt comments, as if he's changed much himself. The smell of cigarettes is obvious and headache inducing, but that's the only difference Near senses.

"Good to know at least one of us is consistent," he follows up, finishing his thought.

Near can see how Mello has changed, though he mostly just fell into a predictable extreme. How has Matt changed? Still good with electronics, still wears goggles because sunglasses don't cover his sensitive eyes enough, still hangs out with Mello, still understands Near; he can even see a PSP or some similar console sticking out of Matt's jacket pocket when he looks.

"And how have you changed?" he asks outright.

Matt seems to think on it for a few seconds.

"Maybe it's just that my surroundings changed. I've gotten lazy as hell, for one. And these are gonna kill me someday, I bet," he adds, pulling a pack of cigarettes out as if Near couldn't already tell he smokes these days. "If I had more people around, I bet I'd shape up again. But I don't really want more people."

Most people who knew Matt in Wammy's House, people who received random, unexplained favors from him just because he once overheard something they liked or wanted, assumed him to be an extrovert like Mello. Near knows better. He thinks, out of the three of them, that Matt would be most suited to be what people think L is, someone who is known by nobody and speaks to no one except under special circumstances, while simultaneously the least suited to be what L actually is. L works alone, but only in a sense. He has always had crucial connections that required effort to maintain. Come to think of it, Near still needs to work on his own network.

Again, Near has to hold back a comment about being able to accommodate Matt. He and Mello are supposed to be competing, at least in Mello's eyes, but Near isn't about to undermine him by recruiting his best friend. Whatever role Matt can fulfill, and Near does see plenty of possibilities, he's sure Mello has already picked out the ideal part for him to play.

It occurs to Near that he never bothered asking Matt why he is here. He almost still doesn't.

"You don't happen to have a spare room around here or anything, do you?" Matt finally comes out and asks when pressed. Near worries a little. What drastic measures have forced Matt out of his home? No, it's Matt, so it's probably something like his house just got fumigated and he doesn't want to be around for a bit.

"Mello needs to be alone for a little bit and out of the two of us, it's a whole hundred percent safer for me to go outside as opposed to him," he goes on. "Can't say I planned to end up here, but I guess I must have missed you or something."

For once, Near can't argue with Matt's typical significant rounding. He even disregards the blatant lie, seeing as he thought to bring Near's favorite candy, and instead focuses on the fact that Matt missed him.

"We don't really have any spare space at the moment. If you need a temporary place to stay, you can just use my room."

He's lying through his teeth before he even realizes it. Matt has no reason not to believe him. He lies down on Near's bed from his sitting position next to him and pulls out the handheld Near spotted earlier.

"Like old times, then?"

Near didn't remember until now, but there were a couple times when Matt stayed over in Near's room at the institute. He never bothered offering an excuse for sleeping in Near's room, just left him to guess, if he felt like it. As long as he asked and actually cared about Near's permission, he didn't mind whatever reasons he might have. Some of the other kids throwing fits when Near apparently made them think he hated them really lowered his standards for what he found to be a decent friend. Matt went above and beyond that low bar and made it look like it couldn't ever possibly be higher than him. Near still feels that way. Mello might, too.

Near has never been fond of touch, especially as a child. He rarely acted out in any way, but when he did, it was always when a hand was laid on him. Sometimes, he would try to tolerate it only to suddenly lose control of his actions after a few mere seconds, the delayed reaction making the forceful removal of friendly hands from his body seem even more cold. The only touch he could tolerate, and he suspected it was only because it was always so quick and unexpected, was when Matt would ruffle his hair. Unfortunately, him clearly allowing that to happen without pitching a fit only upset the other kids more. Matt brings just as much trouble with him as fortune.

He's older now and in better control of his actions. As long as Near is the one to instigate touch, he won't freak out. If he gets tired of being in contact with another person, he can just pull away and take comfort in knowing that Matt truly does not care one way or the other. So he follows him down and hesitantly leans on Matt's shoulder to watch him play. He's currently in some sort of turn-based battle sequence in an RPG. Near is reminded of why Matt is third in line rather than lost amongst the other kids as he watches him quickly decide on the perfect tactics to use. Or maybe he's played this game too many times.

After about an hour, Matt's phone buzzes and he immediately shifts to get it out from under himself.

"I see he's done wanting alone time," he says. "False alarm, then."

Mello is stealing Matt away again, Near thinks as Matt sits up, obviously going to leave. This time, he almost thinks he might reach out and dare to stop him. Mello needs him more, he reminds himself.

**Author's Note:**

> yahoo answers user near deathnote asks "help i think i'm in love with a cryptid?"


End file.
